How often do we witness punk bands that seem to rebirth effortless clones of themselves when their previous projects disband? It seems unfamiliar to catch a band that challenge and progress with their sound. The now-expired Freak Vibe has reformed with their new vocalist, Gabe Gutierrez, as L.I. (a.k.a. Lysol). Gabe's earnest vocals are a breath of fresh air from a sound that was beginning to be pastiche of a signature Australian howl that once coexisted within the band. The swampy, reverb-drenched guitar of Chad Bucklew is still accompanied by the pummeling and driving rhythm section of Xtine Lundberg and Anthony Gaviria, who keep locked as Gabe expels his words and give Chad room to displace his breaking, fuzzed-out tone. The sound still nods to the '60s and '70s, but now with bottled intensity of the early '80s. The soundtrack of overly caffeinated, chain-smoking freaks.
